1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatus, and methods for the treatment of occlusions within a lumen, such as a blood vessel, and more specifically to an electro-mechanical intravascular device. In one specific aspect of the disclosure, an intravascular occlusion treatment device is described, as well as corresponding methods of use.
2. Background of Related Art
Apparatus and methods used to establish, and/or maintain, patency in a lumen are well known in the art. For example, electrosurgical apparatus, which are generally classified as either monopolar or bipolar, treat occlusions via the application of energy, such as, for example, electrical (RE) energy, microwave energy, or resistive heating.
Monopolar electrosurgical apparatus typically include an active electrode forming part of a handheld device, and a return electrode located remotely from the handheld device that is in contact with the patient in order to transmit energy back to the source supplying the apparatus. For example the return electrode may be configured as a pad positioned beneath the patient.
By contrast, in bipolar electrosurgical apparatus, the handheld device typically includes both an active electrode and a return electrode. During the use of such devices, the active electrode and the return electrode are placed in close proximity so as to establish an electrical circuit between the two electrodes. The target tissue is positioned between the active electrode and the return electrode so as to limit the application of electrical current to the target tissue, and minimize the effect, if any, on collateral tissue(s) adjacent the target tissue.
The handheld devices of monopolar electrosurgical apparatus are usually of simpler construction when compared to those of bipolar electrosurgical apparatus, since the handheld devices of monopolar electrosurgical apparatus include only an active electrode. However, with monopolar electrosurgical apparatus devices, it is generally more difficult to limit the area to which energy is applied, and thus, to confine the application of energy to the target tissue.
Also understood in the art is the fact that certain methods of removal are more suited for specific types of occlusions. For example, a single clot may include various tissue types that require different methods of treatment, and in the context of chronic clots, the sole use of a chemical agent, such as a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), may not achieve the desired result. Since the morphology of occlusive tissue is typically unknown prior to the initiation of a removal procedure, an occlusion treatment device facilitating various methods of treatment remains desirable.